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Sicilian Style Rice Casserole

2/28/2018

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Sicilian Style Rice Casserole

Prep Time: 30 Min

Cook Time: 55 - 60 Min

In a large sauce pot, add the rice, water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Once boiled, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 15 – 20 minutes until rice has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and use a fork to whip the rice before laying it out on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool completely.

**Continue while rice cooks

In a large frying pan, begin heating the 2 Tbsp. EVOO on medium heat. Once heated, add the pepper flakes, stir, and cook roughly 1 minute. Add the garlic, stir, and continue to cook another minute.

Add the onions, bell pepper, ½ Tsp. vegeta, and a pinch of sea salt. Stir and continue to cook 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, and remaining vegeta seasoning. Stir and continue to cook 4 – 5 minutes.

Pour in the 1/2c tomato sauce and once the sauce starts to bubble away, your veggie layer is complete. Cover and set aside until needed.

Grocery List

2 C Dry Arborio Rice
1 1/3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 1/3 Tsp. Sea Salt
4 C Cold Water

2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Bell Pepper, diced
1 Zucchini, halved and sliced
227g container White Button Mushrooms, quartered
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 ½ Tsp. Vegeta Seasoning
½ C Prepared Tomato Sauce (Marinara, Primavera etc)

1 Large Egg
1 C Prepared Tomato Sauce (Marinara, Primavera, etc)
½ C Mozzarella, shredded
1/3 C Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs
Handful Fresh Parsley, chopped - Garnish

Once the rice is fully cooled, add it to a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and 1 C tomato sauce and stir to combine everything.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Drizzle some EVOO into a 3qt baking dish and use your hands to coat the entire dish. Next, add the breadcrumbs and shake the dish around to coat with crumbs.

Add half the rice to the dish and press down with your hands to form the first layer. Next, add the entire pan of cooked veggies pressing gently down to form a second layer. To finish, add remaining rice once again gently pressing down to form an even layer and finish with the shredded mozzarella.

Loosely cover the baking dish with tinfoil and place it into the oven to bake. Bake covered for 25 minutes, remove cover, and continue baking for 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove and set dish onto wire cooling rack for 5 or so minutes.

Slice and serve. Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley and ENJOY!

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Cauliflower Barley Risotto

2/26/2018

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Cauliflower Barley Risotto

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: Approx. 1 Hr

Follow the package directions to cook the entire bag of barley. Roughly an hour from start to finish for fluffy, delicious barley.

With ½ hour left on the barley, start heating the EVOO in a large saucepot over medium. Once heated, add the pepper flakes and garlic cloves. Stir often and cook 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and lightly browned.

Add the yellow onions, stir, and cook 3 minutes. Add in the cauliflower, veg stock, and vegeta, stir, cover, and reduce heat slightly. Cook 20 – 25 minutes until cauliflower is fully cooked.

Remove from heat and blend (Immersion blender works great too). Whisk in vegetable stock until desired consistency is achieved.

Stir in the cooked barley, peas, and cracked pepper to taste. Serve & ENJOY!

Grocery List

454g package Organic Pearly Barley, rinsed
2 C Frozen Peas, thawed

3 Tbsp. EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Head Cauliflower, broken down into smaller florets
1 ½ C Low Sodium Vegetable Stock + up to 1 C after blending
1 Tbsp. Vegeta Seasoning
Sea Salt / Cracked Pepper

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Tuscan Bean & Vegetable Soup

2/21/2018

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Tuscan Bean & Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 15 - 20 Min

Cook Time: 35 Min

Begin heating a medium sized sauce pot on medium heat. Add the butter and EVOO and wait for bubbling. Once bubbly, add half the pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir often for about 1 ½ minutes.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, and a generous pinch of sea salt. Stir and cook 5 – 7 minutes until veggies are starting to become tender.

Add the dry rice, stir, and cook another minute or two before adding the potatoes and another good pinch of sea salt. Stir and cook 3 minutes.

Pour in the veggie stock and water. Stir, and wait for the soup to come to a boil. Once boiled, add the kale, beans. Tsp. sea salt, bay leaf, and remaining dried thyme and pepper flakes. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer 20 minutes.

For service, drop a tbsp. or two of parmesan into the bottom of your empty bowl. Ladle the soup over the parmesan and finish with a light drizzling of EVOO. ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp. EVOO + more for drizzling
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 C Carrots, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced / pressed
3 White Potatoes, diced
¼ C Dry Long Grain & Wild Rice
1 C Kidney Beans (cooked / canned)
3 C Kale, chopped
3 ½ C Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
1 C Cold Water
1 Tsp. (+) Sea Salt
¾ Tsp. Dried Thyme
¾ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Bay Leaf
Cracked Pepper
Grated Parmesan for service

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Cauliflower Potato Gratin

2/19/2018

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Cauliflower Potato Gratin

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: 1 Hr 5 Min

Begin melting the butter in a medium sized saucepot set to medium. Once bubbly and melted, whisk in the flour, reduce heat just a touch, and continue to stir until the rapid bubbling stops. Simmer 3 – 4 minutes stirring often.

Whisk in the milk and cream. Return the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to medium low, and the onion and garlic, vegeta, pepper flakes, and simmer 7 – 10 minutes until sauce has thickened. Remove the onion and garlic from the sauce.

Preheat oven to 400 F

In a long and shallow dish / pan, use a stick of butter to grease the inside of the pan / dish. Begin layering slices of potato from one end of the dish to the other. Every third or fourth potato slice, slip in one of the cauliflower slices. Continue until the entire dish is covered in potatoes and cauli. Fill in the edges with any remaining small pieces of potato and / or cauliflower.

Grocery List

5 Yellow Potatoes, sliced 1/8” thick
½ Head Cauliflower, broken down into large florets and sliced
¾ C Herb & Garlic Cheddar, shredded
½ C Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs

1 ½ Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 C 2% Milk
1 C Whipping Cream
1 Yellow Onion, halved
1 clove Garlic, crushed
2 Tsp. Vegeta Seasoning
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Pour the creamy sauce over the potatoes and cauliflower making sure to try and coat everything. Sprinkle over the cheese and finish with the breadcrumbs.

Cover with tinfoil and place into the oven to bake. Bake for 35 minutes covered, remove cover and continue baking 10 – 15 minutes until potatoes are cooked.

Remove from oven and set on to a wire cooling rack and finish the dish with a sprinkling of sea salt. Serve and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of fresh parsley. ENJOY!

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Sataras

2/15/2018

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Sataras

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: Approx. 1 Hr.

Place the sliced eggplant on a wire rack and salt them generously. Cover them with a paper towel and weight them down with a couple plates. Leave them for 15 minutes to pull out moisture. Wipe the salt away prior to breading.

Set up a breading station. Flour in one bowl, panko / seasoned crumbs in another bowl, and the egg and water, whisked in a last bowl.

Using tongs, coat the eggplant slices in flour, dip them in the egg mixture, and finish them with crumbs. Transfer the slices to a parchment lined baking sheet. Once all slices are breaded, place the baking sheet in the fridge until you are ready to bake.

In a medium sized saucepan, begin melting the butter together with the EVOO on medium heat. Once bubbly, add the pepper flakes and let them pop away for a minute. Add the onions and peppers along with a generous pinch of sea salt. Cook 8 – 10 minutes until they have cooked down significantly.

Grocery List

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp. EVOO
¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 Yellow Onions, halved and sliced
1 Bell Pepper, sliced
796ml can Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 ½ Tbsp. Vegeta Seasoning

1 Eggplant, sliced ¼” thick
½ C AP Flour + more if needed
1 Egg + ¼ C Cold Water
½ C Panko Crumbs + more if needed
½ C Seasoned Italian Bread crumbs + more if needed
Sea Salt

Prepared Rice (White or Brown) or other grain
Fresh Parsley, Basil - Garnish

Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook another 3 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 15 – 20 minutes.

As the sauce cooks, preheat the oven to 425 F

Remove the eggplant from the fridge and remove the slices with the parchment. Coat the baking sheet with EVOO and return the slices to the tray without the parchment. Drizzle the slices with more EVOO, sprinkle each slice with sea salt, and place them into the oven to bake.

Bake the slices for 10 minutes, flip them, and continue baking 10 – 12 minutes until nice and crispy.

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if desired. For service, enjoy the Sataras served over your choice of grain, a slice of breaded eggplant, and a sprinkling of fresh basil and/or parsley. ENJOY!

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Spinach & Basil Gnudi

2/12/2018

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Spinach & Basil Gnudi

Prep Time: 25 Min

Chill Time: 30 Min +

Cook Time: 20 Min

Combine the spinach, 1 C basil, garlic, and onion in a food processor and blend until completely broken down.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the ricotta cheese, egg, flour, salt, pepper, and greens from the processor. Fold together using a fork to combine thoroughly.

Dump about ¼ C AP flour onto a small plate and keep close. Flour your hands and use a Tbsp. to scoop the gnudi mix into your hands. Gently roll and toss between hands to form a little egg-shaped dumpling. Roll in flour and toss between hands to shake off excess.

Transfer the gnudi to a parchment lined baking sheet and continue until mixture is gone. You will have approximately 16 – 20 gnudi. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm up the gnudi.

Grocery List

600g Ricotta Cheese
½ Yellow Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 C Spinach
1 C Fresh Basil Leaves
1/3 C AP Flour + some for rolling
1 Large Egg
½ Tsp. Sea Salt
¼ Tsp. Cracked Pepper

2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
½ C Whipping Cream
½ C Fresh Basil, roughly chopped
½ Tsp. Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan, Fresh Basil, Fresh Parsley - Garnish

Once the gnudi have chilled, set a large pot of cold water onto the stove, and set it to medium high. Once boiled, season liberally with sea salt. In 2 batches, add the gnudi to the boiling water one a time stirring it in as it hits the water. Cook each batch 6 – 7 minutes. Transfer the first batch to a paper towel lined plate and continue with the second batch.

**Continue as gnudi boils.

Begin melting the butter in a large frying pan on medium heat. Once melted, add the EVOO, pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir and cook 2 minutes.

Pour in the whipping cream, salt, and desired amount of pepper, and allow it to bubble for 2 minutes before reducing heat to medium low. Continue to simmer and stir for 5 minutes.

Add ¼ C of the boiling gnudi water to the cream sauce and continue to cook until second batch of gnudi is finished.

Add the cooked gnudi to the cream sauce and gently toss them to coat them in the sauce. Add in the fresh basil and toss gently one last time.

Serve directly from the pan. Enjoy with a sprinkling of grated parmesan, pepper flakes, or a combination of fresh chopped herbs. ENJOY!

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Creamy Potato Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

2/7/2018

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Creamy Potato Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 15 - 20 Min

Chill Time: 1 Hr +

Fill a large saucepot with cold water and season liberally with sea salt. Add the potatoes and set to medium high. Once boiled, potatoes should cook 10 – 15 minutes until fork tender. Strain and add the cob corn to the pot. Continue boiling 6 – 7 minutes until corn is cooked and vibrant in colour. Strain and cool.

Once cooled, quarter the mini potatoes and add them to a large mixing bowl. Strip the corn from the cob and add it to the bowl as well. Add pepper, celery, onions, a pinch of sea salt, and toss.

Using the single serve cup of your blender if available, add all the ingredients from avocado down to cracked pepper (to taste). Blend until thoroughly blended and creamy.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Once tossed, add in the remaining parsley and chives, and toss again. Taste and adjust salt if desired. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour minimum.

For service, garnish with fresh chives if desired. ENJOY!

Grocery List

680g bag Mini Red Potatoes
1 Bell Pepper, diced
1 Stalk Celery, diced
1 Cob Fresh Corn
4 Green Onions, sliced
½ Red Onion, diced
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. Fresh Chives, chopped

2 Avocados
3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Lime, juiced
1 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
20g Fresh Chives
Handful Fresh Parsley
1 clove Garlic, crushed
½ Tsp. Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

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Cheesy Polenta with Chili Spiced Veggies

2/5/2018

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Cheesy Polenta with Chili Spiced Veggies

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 30 - 40 Min

Add the water to a medium sized sauce pot and set to medium high. Once boiled, add the salt, and whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to whisk until polenta has thickened enough that the meal is no longer sinking / separating. Cover and cook 30 – 40 minutes depending on preferred consistency. Stir every 10 minutes.

With 15 minutes remaining on the polenta, begin melting 3 Tbsp. butter in a large frying pan set to just below medium heat. Once melted, add a drizzle of EVOO to keep the butter from scorching. Add the onion, jalapeno, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Stir and cook 4 – 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and continue cooking 2 minutes.

Grocery List

4 C Cold Water
1 C Yellow Cornmeal
1 ½ Tsp. Sea Salt
4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp. Whipping Cream
½ C Old Cheddar, shredded

½ Red Onion, diced
2 Jalapenos, seeded & diced
1 Zucchini, chopped
1 C Corn, (fresh or thawed if frozen)
2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1 Tsp. Tomato Paste
1 Tsp. Chili Powder
½ Tsp. Cumin
½ Tsp. Garlic Powder
½ Tsp. Dried Oregano
Fresh Cilantro, Hot Sauce - Garnish

Add the tomato paste and stir. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes before adding the zucchini, cumin, chili, garlic powder, oregano, and another good pinch of sea salt. Stir, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook another 2 minutes.

Taste and adjust salt if desired.

To finish polenta, remove from heat and stir in the cheese, remaining butter, and whipping cream. Taste and adjust salt if desired. Cover and set aside 2 – 3 minutes.

For service, scoop polenta into a serving dish and make a small well in the center. Scoop some of the veggies and butter into the center drizzling some butter all over the polenta. Finish with some fresh cilantro and a few dashes of hot sauce. ENJOY!

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R E C I P E S

Sicilian Style Rice Casserole

Cauliflower Barley Risotto

Tuscan Bean & Vegetable Soup

Cauliflower Potato Gratin

Sataras

Spinach & Basil Gnudi

Creamy Potato Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Cheesy Polenta with Chili Spiced Veggies

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